As Brazil, the giant of the southern hemisphere, finished celebrating Carnaval with its characteristic wild abandon, this exotic land of Rio and the rain forest readied for another event worthy of such celebration - the graduation of the first Brazilian chiropractic class on April 8, 2000.
This is an important historical occasion for chiropractic and its effects will be felt for generations to come. This event will eventually impact all of Latin America. As chiropractic care and education has historically been the domain of the world's highly industrialized nations, Brazil could well become the leader and role model for the profession for the developing world, an area in which chiropractic services are sorely needed.
The groundwork for this program has been an amazing quixotic tale involving "foolish" chiropractic visionaries willing to toil for the impossible. It's a tale that would make D.D., B.J. and David Palmer proud. Three primary "foolish visionaries" have made this possible against great odds and have inspired two major universities to be a part of their "folly." These pioneers are Angela Kolberg, former health sciences director at Feevale University in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil; Garry Krakos,DC, director of international programs at Palmer College; and Sira Borges,DC, MD, president of the Brazilian Chiropractic Association.
Four years ago, Angela Kolberg was impressed by the research appearing in the journals on chiropractic and spinal adjusting. As chiropractic was virtually nonexistent in Brazil, she felt compelled to investigate the possibilty of creating a professional training program at her university. Little did she know, at the time, of the whirlwind of events she would set into motion with her burning curiosity. She contacted Brazilian chiropractor Marino Schueler of Porto Alegre, a graduate of Cleveland College. He gave her background on the profession in Brazil and the name of the president of the Brazilian Chiropractic Association, Sira Borges. As a Palmer graduate, Dr. Borges immediately put professor Kolberg in touch with Dr. Krakos at Palmer. The circle was then complete and the chemistry perfect for miracles to happen.
Professor Kolberg recalls several critical times when the whole program was close to collapsing. "Any reasonable person would have given up. But I knew in my heart that this was the right thing to do, and somehow giving up was unimaginable."
Palmer University had never been involved in curriculum development in another country. There was no infrastructure to support such a project. To all who know Dr. Krakos, his drive and excitement for chiropractic is an inspiration. He was the spark and the driving and sustaining force that resulted in one of Palmer's most innovative and far-reaching programs. The herculean task of designing a chiropractic curriculum in another country, flying Palmer faculty back and forth to Brazil, arranging for documents, travel and lodging arrangements, and the myriad of an unending host of logistics, was staggering.
Dr. Borges, a 1990 Palmer graduate, had helped set the stage for this event by creating considerable visibility for chiropractic in her country. In a relatively short time, she had lectured extensively throughout Brazil and had appeared many times on Brazilian television and radio programs. As the world's fifth largest country, the need for chiropractors was great. Dr. Borges had long been convinced that a Brazilian chiropractic program would have to be the next step. "I was very clear after speaking with Angela Kolberg that this was the moment for that next step." Knowing both cultures and academic realities, Dr. Borges provided the critical link between the two schools.
Because of the groundwork laid by these remarkable chiropractic pioneers and a host of others who provided the critical support to make it happen, 24 Brazilian chiropractic students received their degrees on April 8, 2000. The students in this program were working health professionals who completed their degree at great personal cost. The sacrifice and commitment on the part of these first students was remarkable. In August of last year, the entire class came to Palmer in Davenport, Iowa, to see the Fountainhead first hand. It was a powerful and emotional time for these students, their student counterparts and Palmer faculty, who were deeply touched by their personal experience with the program.
We are blessed with a phenomenal healing art and exceptional colleagues who go beyond the confines of their own practices and work responsibilities to accomplish extraordinary feats for chiropractic. We give thanks to these exceptional individuals and acknowledge them for their selfless contributions.
Professor Angela Kolberg was among those first 24 Brazilian chiropractic students to receive their diplomas on April 8, 2000. Congratulations to all involved.
Authors' note: There are a few positions open for practice in Brazil. Interested doctors need to be fluent in Portuguese or Spanish. Doctors married to a Brazilian national will find greater ease in resolving visa issues. Any doctors interested in making at least a year-long commitment to practicing in Brazil should contact Dr. Sira Borges via e-mail at:siraborges@hotmail.com.
